New Max HR

Today I did the run sessions that I have been doing last week. These include a warmup and then some drills with the main set being 10 x 50mtrs @ 80% with walk back recovery.

My warmup felt OK and my drills were even feeling OK; I usually struggle with these in the technique department. I started doing my 10 x 50mtrs keeping an eye on my HR. My HR only got up to early 140's at the end of the first few 50mtrs and then it steadily climbed to the early 150's.

I decided to do an all out 100% effort on the last one and my HR was 181 when I finished, I couldn't believe it as it didn't feel as though I had put in that much more effort, I was certainly working at the 80% efforts, but this obviously tipped it over with the accumulation of the others.

So my new Max HR is 181.

Here are my new HR Zones:


Level 1 60-65% Recovery 109 - 118
Level 2 65-70% Endurance Base 118 - 127
Level 3 70-85% Aerobic Capacity 127 - 154
Level 4 85-92% Max Aerobic - Lactate Threshold 154 - 167
Level 5 92% + Anaerobic/Oxygen debt 167 - 181

Also, my coach said that it is too confusing to use my previous calculation including the rest HR, so we are purely taking the zones as a percentage of my max HR.

Finished the day with some core exercises from the Women's Health website: http://www.flashbonanza.com/womenshealth/workitout/ These are a great way to put together 6 exercises. I am doing the core exercises only and have included the Reverse Bicycle, Superwoman, Dead Bug, Big Hump, Hip Thrust Leg Curl and Reverse Crunch. I am finding them all a bit hard, but hopefully they will get easier over time. I will be doing these 2 or 3 times a week.

Max HR Test

This morning was a maximum HR test at Ride Inside at West End on the rollers with the bike. We did a 10min warmup with a few hard kicks thrown in to really get us going, followed by two 8min all out - go as hard as you can sustain with nothing left in the tank at the end of the 8mins. So, I started with my HR around the 150 mark and built up to mid to high 160's and then in the last minute went all out and managed to get my HR up to 171. My resting HR is 53, although I may review this as I haven't taken it for a while.

So from this test we can identify what HR ranges I should be working in over the next period of training. Here are my HR Zone calculations and the summary:

Max HR - 171
Resting HR - 53

Formula for calculating zones: % of (MHR-RHR) + RHR

MHR - RHR = 171-53 = 118
70% of 118 = 82 + RHR (53) = 135
80% of 118 = 94 + 53 = 147
85% of 118 = 100 + 53 = 153
90% of 118 = 106 + 53 = 159
95% of 118 = 112 + 53 = 165
100% of 118 = 118 + 53 = 171

I find this interesting as according to the 220 - your age max HR rule of thumb I should be Max HR at 186, so I would be interested to see why mine is so low. Is it because I don't push myself to the max or is it my make up?

Anyway, it will be interesting to work within these ranges and see how I go.

I think I will try and tape these to my handlebars or try and memorise them or something.